summer bookshelf

BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

When it came out in 2013, I wrote about a brilliant, but tragic debut novel set in Chechnya during the Russian Occupation entitled A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Nearly ten years and one forgettable short story collection later, Anthony Marra has returned in force with an epic novel entitled Mercury Pictures Presents. In the 1940s, Maria Lagana and her mother leave Mussolini’s Italy to live with her three comical aunties in Los Angeles where eighteen-year-old Maria gets a job as a typist at Mercury Pictures, a B-list movie studio. She soon proves her worth to her boss Artie, a man with a toupee collection and a soft heart for recent emigres. Maria’s boyfriend Eddie, a Shakespearean actor, is forever cast as the Japanese villain due to his ChineseAmerican heritage. Don’t miss this homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood when it’s released in July.

Crime stories from the criminal or excon’s point of view can work well if the author instills enough empathy for the characters. In Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby, Beauregard “Bug” Montage has escaped the life of crime, and is married and running a legitimate auto repair business. Money troubles loom, however, pressuring him to take one final job which goes totally awry. Now Bug will need all his old skills and talents just to stay alive. Cosby’s gritty descriptions and streetwise knowledge are reminiscent of James Lee Burke at his early best, and Razorblade Tears, Cosby’s second novel, is just as good. In this story, two ex-cons team up to find their sons’ killers after the murders appear to be dismissed by local law enforcement. Also check out Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle if you like this genre.

the Fight for America’s First Frontier, by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, separates fact from fable in this true saga of the life and times of the legendary woodsman. In the 1700s, pushing the outer limits of the frontier was not for the faint of heart, and Daniel Boone and his family were always at the forefront of this movement. The authors do a great job connecting Boone’s story against the backdrop of the geopolitical struggles of The French and Indian War and The American Revolution. They neither sugar coat nor demonize the atrocities committed by the settlers and indigenous tribes. It was what it was; a part of our shared history, making it a captivating read.

Sometimes a good historical novel can serve to illuminate a previously forgotten event or injustice, for example Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours, which exposed the corrupt Tennessee Children’s Home Society. The Foundling by Ann Leary reveals another dark blemish of our past. In the early 1900s, young Mary Engle is hired as the secretary to the superintendent at The Nettleton State Village for Feeble Minded Women of Childbearing Age. It is only when she recognizes one of the residents of the Village as a childhood companion, who is not in the least bit feebleminded, that she begins to question the role of the Village. Asylums like the one in the story were founded in the U.S. when the Eugenics movement was prevalent in our society, and women were often involuntarily committed by their husbands or other male members of the family for “Moral Feeblemindedness.” See Sue’s review of The Woman They Could Not Silence for a real life account of what happened to one woman.

Travel writer Colin Thubron knows Asia well, and his latest foray takes him (and the reader) down The Amur River, also the title of his book. The river is the tenth longest in the world, beginning in Mongolia and emptying into the northern Pacific Ocean 1800 miles later. Over 1000 miles of the river constitute the boundary line between Russia and China. The contrast between the two countries is striking, with the Chinese side bustling with energy and commerce, and the Russian side dying a slow death of decay; a shell of its former self. Thubron goes by horseback, bus, cab, train and boat, and is guided by interesting people with their own back stories.

The last two wonderful stories are paired together because each requires the reader to take a leap of faith. The beauty and creativity of the novel Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel invoked in me a sense of wonder and inflection I’ve seldom felt. Beginning in the Canadian Woods of 1912, to the present day, and then three centuries later on the moon’s second colony, a similar event occurs which questions the fabric of reality in this novel of time travel.

In Crossings by Alex Landragen, natives of a small island in the South Pacific have evolved and learned how to cross over to another person’s body. When the first European trading ship arrives in the 1700s, an islander sees an opportunity to escape and see the world, setting an epic, multigenerational tale in motion. This clever, unique novel can be read two ways; either cover to cover, or in the “Baroness Sequence” suggested by the author in the prologue.

The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, is an outstanding novel about the woman who was instrumental in making the Pierpont Morgan Library a repository for the most important collections of rare books and manuscripts in the U.S. Belle de Costa Greene, hired as the first librarian of Morgan’s private library, was a savvy business person who gained the admiration and respect of many in her field, most importantly, J. P. Morgan. To retain the job she cherished, however, she had to keep a very important secret about her background. This novel is rich with history and facts about Belle and her accomplishments and is a delight to read.

Kate Moore, author of The Radium Girls, does it again with a powerful historical account of one woman who refused to let her husband control her destiny. In The Woman They Could Not Silence, the author delves into the era when it was easy for a husband to declare his wife insane and commit her to an asylum. In 1860, Elizabeth Packard was forced into an asylum, yet by 1865 she was free and politically advocating for the legal rights of married women and mental health patients, which resulted in significant legislative changes. Elizabeth Packard wasn’t insane, she was extremely intelligent! Personally, I think her husband was the insane one. Grab a copy of the book and decide for yourself.

There is so much going on these days and very little of it is good. War, disease, divisive politics, disastrous weather—when it all becomes overwhelming, I find comfort in something good and simple, like food. The annual Best American Food Writing series collects intriguing short pieces on all aspects of the culinary world from the history of particular foods and the lives of foodie celebrities to the influence food can have on language and the effects of food on politics and policies. The books are full of enlightening, quick reads to fill a few spare minutes. The 2020 edition, edited by Chef J. Kenji Lopes-Alt, is particularly interesting with articles on the beauty of an expert chef producing a simple omelet, the disturbing peculiarity of saying a baby is “so cute I want to eat her up,” and, my favorite, “A Real Hot Mess: How Grits Got Weaponized Against Cheating Men.” The 2018 edition, the first in the series and edited by Ruth Reichl, is also a great collection. I somehow managed to miss the 2019 volume but it is on my list of books to pick up for the summer. Also on the subject of food, awardwinning actor, writer, film director and producer Stanley Tucci’s memoir, Taste, My Life Through Food, is a delicious and entertaining read. Tucci is obsessed with food and loves to cook. He is perhaps best known for his foodie film, Big Night, and his travel documentary series Searching for Italy. His memoir, complete with recipes, is the humorous and loving story of growing up in an Italian-American family centered around food, Old World cultural traditions, and time-tested family recipes. He covers his years as a struggling actor in New York City, his travels around the world, the sometimes dubious pleasures of dining on movie sets, and the joys of life with his children and wife, as well as his struggle with a frightening medical diagnosis. All of this is told with gentle, wry humor and affection, the way he would serve a well-prepared meal. I read Will Smith’s memoir, Will, before the “slap heard round the world,” and I enjoyed it. I always liked Will Smith, especially in Men in Black and some of his more serious films, but I knew nothing about his family background or his groundbreaking career as a rapper. A creative, oddball kid who lived in his imagination and loved to entertain, he nonetheless often felt like a coward. His parents supported him despite their rocky relationship, and his grandmother held everything together. The book reads like it was dictated to co-author Mark Manson, following Will’s rise to fame in the music world and his launch to stardom through The Fresh Prince of Bel Air TV show. But all was not champagne and roses—family relationships were strained and obstacles had to be overcome during his meteoric rise to become the most bankable actor in Hollywood. But, still, nothing explains the slap! China Room, a novel by Sunjeev Sahota, author of Booker Prize shortlisted Year of the Runaways, is the tale of two Indias. In 1929 rural Punjab, young bride Mehar lives with her two sisters-in-law in their motherin-law’s house but none of them know which of the three brothers is each woman’s husband. The men only visit the women in the dark of night but Mehar sets out to discover which man is hers. Fifty years later, a young man from England arrives at his uncle’s house in Punjab, aiming to break an addiction and return to his life and university. Mehar is oppressed by the traditional expectations of women in the time before Indian independence, and the young man has suffered from racism, violence, and alienation in England. Partly based on the author’s family history, the relationship between Mehar and the young man is gradually revealed as the story progresses and the characters face their unfolding destinies.

Asako Serizawa’s Inheritors is a complex series of intertwined stories spanning five generations of a Japanese family splintered by World War II. Touching on the horror of incendiary bombs, secret medical experiments, anti-Imperialist activists, the oppression of Koreans, and the difficulties living in post-war occupied Japan, Serizawa eloquently explores the nature of identity, morality, belonging, and the destiny of a family dispersed on both sides of the Pacific.

I always turn to poetry when I begin to feel overwhelmed. It is usually short, requiring a limited time commitment, and I find thoughtful juxtapositions of words soothing. I recently acquired What Rough Beasts, a beautiful little volume of verse and elegant block prints by Maine poet and printmaker Leslie Moore. Many of the poems are about birds but bears, woodchucks, spiders, and other fauna also appear accompanied by Moore’s delicate, Japanese-inspired prints. A perfect book for anyone who likes Maine wildlife and appreciates fine art.

Finally, The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History is the ultimate tome for book lovers. Filled with wonderful photographs, reviews, and articles on more than a century of influential books and authors, this is an essential volume for a literary coffee table or bookshelf.

BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE OWNERS & STAFF OF BRIDGTON BOOKS

By Maria Gianferrari Ages 2+ How many times do you look at a dog and admire its simple life full of naps, fun and treats and wish you could be one for a day? Practicing basic mindfulness starts early and dog lovers will adore the way Maria transforms one child’s day into an experience of letting go and living in a dog’s moment.

By Bridget Heos Ages 5+ This book is treemendously ingenious! I love how the smallest acorn narrates the story. Baby acorn takes readers on a journey where they learn about the anatomical changes the nut goes through to become a mighty oak. Colorful, playful illustrations help guide kids through some big subjects such as photosynthesis, the role forest animals play, and give a nod to climate change.

By Cynthia Lord Ages 6+ Anne and her doll Ivy were inseparable. Days were spent digging in the garden, making doll clothes and reading fairy tales. As time passed, Ivy felt more alone until one day she was placed in a box and stored in a dark attic.

Grown up Anne takes the dusty box with Ivy to the library and places her with a group of Book Buddies, a collection of stuffed animals and dolls that children check out like a library book. Scared of the unknown, Ivy tries to hide behind the other stuffed animals, but is quickly discovered by Fern.

By Katherine Applegate Ages 8+ Tragedy struck Willodeen and her village of Perchance. Wildfires, illness and drought plagued the town. Poor attendance at Perchance’s annual fair was starting to hurt the local economy since the town’s treasured Hummingbears were mysteriously disappearing; and they were the main attraction.

Willodeen is a very observant girl who spends time outside studying nature with her new friend Connor. While the adults in town are fed up with the Screecher population because they smell offensive, Willodeen does her best to protect them. Her observaBridgton Farmers’ Market tions fall on deaf ears as the adults refuse to listen to an uneducated child.

By Victoria Piontek Ages 9+ Butter is not a stick of fatty substance, but a therapy goat to Marvel, a twelve-yearold girl with an anxiety disorder. Marvel’s anxiety is real and prevents her from participating in everyday activities. When walking home, she avoids the open field filled with kids, making the journey a bit longer. After school one day, she sees a goat in distress surrounded by bullies and without thinking about the consequences, Marvel rescues the goat and brings it home.

Discover the power of a therapy animal and one girl’s determination to re-engage in life.

By Kelly Barnhill Ages 11+ This powerful story is about an Ogress, Orphans, a Mayor, and a once very lovely town named Stone-in-the Glen. Folks can’t say for sure when things started to change, it is a bit foggy, but after the library burned down and the new Mayor arrived promising grand revelations, people became suspicious, greedy and violent. Cruelty and lack of empathy resonated throughout the neighborhood as the mayor proclaimed his greatness until one day a drop of kindness came from an unexpected place and things started to shift.

By Rachel Giffin Ages 14+ Mother Nature bows to the seasonal witches that have the magical ability to thwart off tornados, tame hurricanes and fend off climate change. Most witches harness their power in one season, however, Clara is an Everwitch and her magic is tied to all four seasons. Weather is becoming more unpredictable and fierce so the seasonal witches are pleading with muggles to conserve and protect the Earth since their powers aren’t strong enough to stop the new forces. Pressure mounts as Clara is the only one capable of controlling these new storms, but she questions her ability and desire to take on the responsibility of being an Everwitch.

By Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam Ages 15+ Amal, a 17-year-old black boy, sits stunned, surrounded by concrete blocks and bars caging him like a trapped animal. Wrongly convicted by a biased system and a society that defines his existence by the color of his skin, his new reality is just trying to survive.

Treatment in prison is inhumane, but Amal finds inner strength and reaches deep within himself to awaken the creative artist and person he was meant to be.

Written in verse, this book is about so much more than injustice and racism.

By Jeff Zentner Ages 15+ Beautifully written with characters that make you feel like family, I felt I was sitting on a porch in this small town of Sawyer, Tennessee, experiencing all the highs and lows of this struggling American family.

Cash lost his mother to opioids, and his chronically-ill Pawpa and hard-working Mawma are raising him. Content with spending time playing in the rivers, mountains and helping his grandparents, Cash discovers that his best friend, Delaney, has other plans for him. When Delaney is awarded a scholarship to a private boarding school in Connecticut, she convinces the administrators to admit Cash too. Family keeps Cash rooted, but this once-in-a lifetime offer may be hard to pass up.